Electric coupling



June 8 1926. 1,588,120

T. MAIJGREN ,l ELECTRIC coUPLING Filed April 101923 mmm y 3 Illlilllll; 44.22 6- Mmmm *7 j Humm; f

VtE/yToR.

, v ATTORNEY Patented June 8, ,71926.

- U'Nifiiin 'STATES TiIoRvALn Mani-GEEN, or ROCHESTER; NEW YORK., vAssicrNon'To nnncrno fsnncrciin v INSTRUMENT COMPANY, or ROCHESTER; NEW Yemen `comma-.LrrioN or; Naw

YORK. A

' ELECTRIC oonPLING,

Appnea'tion iea Aprii 1o, 1923; :seri-aim. 631,224/

My present invention relates to electrical connections and more particularly to couplings ot the plug `and socket type and it has for its object to provide an improved device;

Yot this nature that will besimplein construction and convenient and serviceable in use. The improvements are directed in part Vto the provision oi means whereby the coupling acts as a switch to make or hreak the circuit the two members being selectively interloclred in either ot'two positionsv in one of which the circuit islclos'ed and-inthe other ot which it is open. To these and other Aends theinvention resides in certain improve- 15 `menis' and Acombina-tions of 4parts' all as will he' 'hereinafter more -`fully described, the novel' lfeatures beingV pointedV out in the claims atthe Iend ot the speciiication. in -thedrawingm i j ,"Figure 1 isa side-view oie av surgical appliance provided with ja coupling constructed in accordance with and illustrating one einbodiment 'ot my invention;

Figure 93 isa-n yenlarged si'de'viewV ot the L t, tion-tc close the circuit; y Figure?) is a longitudinal'centralsection through the saine; i v f Y q Figure 4'isfa-view similarl toFigure 2 with the ineiiibers'i'nterlocked` but in the position in which the circuit is open;` y y.

Figure 5 isa central section on Figure 4; Figure 6 is a transverse sectiom' fturther enlarged on: the lineGL-G of lFigure 2;

Figure 7 is atransverse section also further enlarged on the line 7-7 of Figure 4 and v Figure 8 is an end view of the socket mem# ber.

Similar reference numerals throughout the p Vi longitudinal channel V2O is a' slightly inclined 40 several views indicate the sainevparts. Y

In the present instance, I have illustrated my improvements embodied in a coupling by which surgical instruments are detachahly connected to their lead wires. yThe instrument shown is a throat lamp but is oi'' the Vgeneral nature of various surgical instrul vconstitutinga bearing'tor a yieldingfor a um groeiden-i5 @a 'inspringen coupling velements interlocked `and in posi',-k

@Xfenu and tra@ uit top of which is threaded' sa Va t;hiiifi lcleV 8, lcot'h of 'these parts vbeing' 'of insulating material' as shown, preferably hard rubber. l{l,7it;'liinr the'thimble 8 isa c'enc tral cavity- 9 belowjwhich is a 'bushing 10V recip'rocatoiy plunger ycontact 411'having an v lenlarged head 12 atvits lower endv movable A in an enlarged portion'l?) `of 'the bushing to limit :its upward or "outward movement un der the influence 'of a'v spring 14 surrounding its iipp'erend within the lca'vi'tyv and lacting Y agaiiii'st the bottom Voithe latterfand against The upper or plugreceiving'fend 'ofthe socket is constituted by ltl'ire'e I concentric sleeves l5, 17 and 18th'e lirs't two' mentioned otwhic'h are formed as collar like 'extensions 'on the thimh'le v8 and are hence ot insulating material, these being the outer' 'and iinner sleeves. Thecentral sleevej18 is' ak metallic or conducting tuhe"insertedhetweenfthe'other two." A It 'constitutes one 'terminal otth'e y socket having an extension 1`9running d'own through the Lthimhle 8 intothe cup 6 andl there joined; to one of the lead wires 7. The other terminal is furnished pluifi'ger 11,V the other lead wirehein-g oinedtothe 'env larged portion 13l of the bushing'in contact therewith. It will be seen that the'oiiter insulating sleevel? is not absolutely essential butvis preferable tol prevent short circuits. *Thetwoinner sleevesljand 18 arercut away'to 'form a longitudinalf'channel 20- to accommodate a laterally projecting inter-V locking pin 21 onthe plug member 3 which pin also constitutes the other terminal of the plug, the centralterminal being indicated at A4 as aforesaid. Communicating with this llateral channel 22 that may extend throughV 95 all of the sleeves 16, 17 and 18 as Ashown in the formy of a slot. On the upper .surface ot, the side of such transverseV channel there are formed two retaining notches 23 and 24 for the pin 21, the rst mentioned lloeing attheV i notch V24.` y lMeantime the terminal plunger 1l i has k'heen depressed upon the entrance of the plug and is being held by its spring 14 against the terminal L of thelatter.

As shown in Figure 3 the retaining .notch 23 is formed in the terminal sleeve 18 0f the socket, the other sleevesy being cut back so that contact of the'pin 21 is there made only withthis conducting sleeve and the circuit through the lamp 2 is closed. The other retaining notch 24, however, is in the same manner formed in the 'sleeve V16, the terminal sleeve 18 being cut back as shown in Figure so that engagement of the pin with this notch opens the circuit and the lamp 2 becomes inoperative. In both cases, nevertheless, the plug and socket are effectively in-Y terlocked and thus, without detaching the f instrument as is often convenient and without resorting to a separate switch usually.

provided at a more distant point, the circuit can be conveniently controlled.

I claim as my invention: Y 1. An electric coupling embodying a socket member and a plugnieinber receivable therein, the socket member having insulated 'and conducting vportions and the plug member beingprovidedvwith an inter- 'locking projection that also constitutes one lio terminal thereof andV wh'ich has two interlocking positions in one of whichitengages if the conducting portion of the socket and in the other of which it engages a non-conducting portion and a Contact yieldably mounted `within the socket and adapted to engage the nel of the pluginy one of which it engages 8. An electric coupling embodying a socket memberand a plug member receivable therein, the socket member embodyinginsulatingand conducting concentric sleeves and being provided with intersecting longitudinal and transverse channels and the plug member being provided with an interlocking projectionthat also constitutes one terminal thereof, said projection being movable in the channels into either of two interlocking poV sitions in the transverse channel of the plug in one of Ywhich it engages the conducting sleeve of the socket and in the other of which it engages` the non-conducting sleeve and a contact slidable within the socket adapted tok `engage the plug in open and closed post' tions.

4. An electric coupling comprising a l socket member including insulating and con-V ducting telescoping sleeves provided with a transverse channel one side of which consti- Y tutes a bearing surface formed partiallyy by each of the sleeves, a plug within the socket having a projecting contact portion disposed within the channel and movable inengagement with said bearing surface to and from open and closed positions through engage- Vment andr disengagement with the conducting and insulating sleeves, a contact meinber movable within the socket adapted to engage the plug in its open and closed positions, and `means acting to urge said movable contact outwardly whereby to maintain said.

projecting contact portion in .engagement with said bearing surface in all positions of the plug.

THORVALD MAIJGREN. 

